Rodale Institute

What it reported doing in 2025

Rodale institute (the "institute"), located in kutztown, Pennsylvania, is an innovative 501(c)(3) nonprofit, dedicated to advancing regenerative agriculture through independent scientific research, direct farmer support initiatives, consumer education, and workforce training programs. Widely recognized as the birthplace of the modern organic movement in the us, rodale institute is celebrated as a prestigious agricultural organization, and is a trusted partner of farmers, corporations, and state and federal governments and agencies. The work of the rodale institute, since its establishment in 1947, is grounded in the principle that healthy soil is key to human and environmental health. As the global leader in regenerative organic agriculture, our mission is to advance groundbreaking research and best-in-class education that enables farmers to transition to regenerative organic agricultural practices, thereby improving the health of the world's soil and securing the global food supply. The world is at a critical inflection point. The rise in environmental pollution, chronic diseases, and increased frequency of extreme weather events requires us to reckon with how we feed the world. As our organization nears it's 80th year, we are committed to providing the research, training, and education necessary to catalyze change in our food, agriculture, and health care systems. The institute is committed to conducting innovative and practical research designed to uncover the most effective and efficient approaches to agriculture that will enhance the management of regenerative organic agroecosystems. Through long-term comparison trials between organic and conventional systems, along with various short-term projects across different regions in the united states, we support a wide range of producers at various scales. Rodale institute has three main areas of focus that guide our research: bolster organic agriculture by developing integrated pest, disease, and weed management techniques as alternatives for chemical applications and facilitates the transition to organic land management. Assist producers in enhancing the resiliency of agricultural ecosystems to withstand extreme weather events. Help alleviate nutrition deficits in the population by providing research around producing nutrient-dense crops. The institute's main campus, a 450-acre organic farm and research facility, serves as a living laboratory, a workforce development hub, and a gathering place for the farming community. The campus is the site of many of the institute's research projects, including the farming systems trial ("fst"), the longest-running, side-by-side comparison of conventional and organic grain systems and vegetable systems trial ("vst"), a long-term food nutrition experiment. Education is also critical to the mission of rodale institute. American consumer habits suggest surging demand for regenerative organic farmers. In the united states, organic sales have topped $62 billion annually and continue to grow. Yet only approximately 1% of u.s. Cropland is certified organic. That is why rodale institute is helping farmers transition to organic, while training the next generation of organic leaders. At rodale institute, we're invested in giving new farmer trainees the skills they need to succeed. We offer hands-on, virtual, and classroom-based workforce training and educational opportunities to new farmers through several farmer education and fellowship pathways. Rodale institute is assisting new farmers to establish operations in the organic agriculture sector, working with conventional farmers to transition to organic, and teaching existing organic farmers the most innovative organic growing practices. An established authority on organic production methods, rodale institute offers internships to beginning farmers, including special programs for military veterans, as well as workshops and online courses to the public to make regenerative organic growing methods mor

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 73.9%; rating input score 74
• Program expense ratio: 77.9%; rating input score 78
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.83 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 86.7%; rating input score 87; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 14.5%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.02; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 7.6%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 15.8% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings